Ebola outbreak in DRC surges 63% in deaths as lockdowns persist

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surged 63 percent in deaths over the past week, raising concerns about a potential wider spread as towns remain under lockdown to curb transmission. The World Health Organization said Thursday that 48 confirmed or probable Ebola cases have been reported in the Kasai region and neighboring districts.

By Sept. 18, 31 people had died, including at least four health-care workers. Two patients have recovered and been discharged, while 16 others are receiving treatment. The WHO has dispatched 14 tons of medical supplies to the affected area and the vaccination campaign is under way in Kasai for people exposed to the virus and frontline health workers. An initial 400 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, approved by the FDA for use in outbreaks, have been dispatched to Bulape, with 1,600 more to be delivered in the coming days.

Health authorities say the current outbreak is the 16th in the DRC and the seventh in Kasai province, caused by the Zaire ebolavirus species, which can be fatal in a high proportion of cases without timely treatment. The virus spreads through contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person and through contaminated objects. The DRC has experienced several large outbreaks since Ebola was first identified in 1976; past outbreaks in 2018 and 2020 in the eastern part of the country killed more than 1,000 people each, and the largest outbreak globally occurred in West Africa from 2014 to 2016 with more than 28,600 cases.

Local officials have moved to restrict movement in and out of affected areas, with checkpoints along the Kasai border and confinement measures in some communities while health teams trace contacts and test suspected cases. The first confirmed case in the current outbreak was a pregnant woman who presented at Bulape General Reference Hospital on Aug. 20 with fever and bleeding and died five days later; testing confirmed Ebola on Sept. 4.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are currently no Ebola cases reported in the United States or outside the DRC, and the risk of spread to the United States is considered low at this time. Two FDA-approved treatments for Ebola exist, Inmazeb and Ebanga, which are used in certain settings to treat infection and reduce mortality when available.

Public health officials emphasize that ongoing vaccination and surveillance are critical as health workers and communities respond to the outbreak.